Planner vaults to top of salary list thanks to massive vacation payout

Chad Skelton, Vancouver Sun03.12.2014

Toivo Allas, former manager of policy and planning at Metro Vancouver, earned the most of any civil servant in B.C. ($522,567) in 2012, according to The Sun’s sixth annual salary database. Metro has explained that Allas' large salary that year was due to a huge payout of banked holiday time Allas received when he retired after 39 years.Handout
/ Vancouver Sun

Vancouver City Manager Penny Ballem speaks to the media about Occupy Vancouver on Nov. 6, 2011. Ballem is one of the province's highest-paid civil servants.Wayne Leidenfrost
/ PNG

A massive payout for unused vacation time vaulted Metro Vancouver policy and planning manager Toivo Allas into position as the highest paid municipal government employee in the region, according to The Vancouver Sun’s exclusive database of public-sector salaries.

According to The Sun’s sixth annual salary database, Allas was paid $522,567 in 2012, more than double the $197,663 he made the previous year.

Metro has explained that the increase was due to a huge payout of banked holiday time Allas received when he retired after 39 years. The agency says it has since adopted a new policy to reduce banked time.

The second-highest paid municipal employee in The Sun’s database — former Port Coquitlam Chief Administrative Officer Tony Chong at $429,566 — also received a large payout of hundreds of unused vacation days when he retired from the city in 2012.

TransLink CEO Ian Jarvis, who topped the local-government rankings last year, came in third this year with total pay of $394,730.

Vancouver city manager Penny Ballem was fourth at $366,009, and TransLink Chief Operating Officer Doug Kelsey came fifth at $336,729.

The Sun’s database includes remuneration information for 32 local governments in B.C., including all Metro Vancouver municipalities as well as some of the largest cities outside the region such as Victoria, Kelowna and Prince George.

There are a total of 10,341 municipal employees in this year’s salary database.

In 2008, The Sun launched B.C.’s first searchable online database of public-sector salaries. The database, which includes public servants who earn more than $75,000, has registered more than 12 million page views. The new database, available at vancouversun.com/pay/, includes pay for more than 70,000 public servants working at 110 public-sector agencies including Crown corporations, health authorities, municipalities and universities.

The remuneration information obtained by The Sun includes the total amount paid to each employee, including their base salary but also any overtime, vacation payouts or severance they received.

Depending on the agency, the information in the new database covers either the 2012 calendar year or the 2012/13 fiscal year.

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Planner vaults to top of salary list thanks to massive vacation payout

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